U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,876 discloses an apparatus for loading pallets. This apparatus is useful for supplying and turning by 90° individual packing units to the apparatus. The packing units are associated in fixed lanes with the gripper-like turning elements which then turn the packing units. The turning elements are only capable of turning one packing unit at a time. Subsequently the turned packing units are combined to form a layer by elements mounted at the side and then stacked on a pallet one layer after another.
In German Patent Application DE 102 19 129 A1, a method is described in which packs are turned and can be optionally distributed or combined. To handle the packs they are gripped by a gripper and turned by 90°. This gripper makes it possible to turn several packs serially supplied in a row in one go so that the packs are disposed side by side. Furthermore it is possible to turn simultaneously several packs arranged abreast so that the are arranged in a row after turning.
European Patent Application EP 1 046 598 A1 discloses an apparatus for creating layers of packing unit packages ready for palletising. In the apparatus according to the present invention, the supplied packing units are turned by 90° and/or offset on a conveyor belt by a plurality of grippers. These grippers are mounted on linear units arranged diagonally across the conveyor belt and parallel to each other. Each gripper is limited to a fixed working area by its installation on one of the linear units. After turning and/or positioning the packing units, they are a combined into packing unit layers.
European Patent EP 0 761 578 B1 discloses a method and an apparatus for combining packing unit layers and palletizing them. In a preferred manner, the sales units are supplied on two conveyors. The sales units are then picked up by two robots and combined into layers on a third conveyor. In a further working step, the layers are picked up and placed on a pallet layer after layer.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0246056 A1 discloses an apparatus for positioning packing units and palletizing them. The packing units are supplied by a conveyor. A second conveyor is used to separate the packing units for subsequent processing steps. A gripper is used to turn the packing units and to position them on the conveyor according to a predetermined pattern for palletizing. Subsequently, the packing units are halted by a stop until the amount of packing units necessary for a packing unit layer is present. Then the packing unit layers are transferred to the pallet via a fixed plane by a pushing unit arranged above the conveyor. Further packing unit layers can be deposited by lowering the pallet. In a further embodiment, the packing units are supplied on two parallel conveyors. Then the packing units are combined into groups which are then turned and positioned in their entirety by the gripper. It is thus possible to handle a plurality of packing units simultaneously and to provide them for the formation of a packing unit layer.
European Patent EP 1 456 101 B1 discloses a method and an apparatus for the row formation of packing goods. The packing goods are supplied in a row (in an abutting relationship) to the apparatus. The packing goods are separated by means of two separating conveyor sections. Subsequently, the packing goods are turned by means of the turning conveyor sections. After turning, the packing goods are further transported via two row conveyor sections until they enter into the providing conveyor. Here, the packing goods are pushed together and pushed into the station for layer formation in a direction transverse to the old conveying direction. From the station for layer formation, the layers of packing goods are supplied to the palletizing station by the layer conveyor.